Batt-inserting tool



Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT 0mm,

ALLISTER S. MITCHELL, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO CALIFORNIA COTTON MILLS COMPANY, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, A CCRPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.,

BATT-INSERTI-NG root.

Application filed February 28, 1927; Serial- No. 171,462.

The present invention pertains to tubular insertion-tools adapted to the, purpose of stuffing the pipes, or pleats, of cushions, or upholstery; and the primary object of the invention is to provide a tool suited to this purpose which is of adjustable cross-section, thus enabling a single tool to servein stuffing pleats of different sizes.

The improved tool is suitable for use in practicing the Mitchell process of stufling upholstery which is described in my Reissue Patent No. 16,283, granted March 9, 1926; In the process described in said-patent, the advance end of a continuous strip of batting drawn from a suitable supply is confined within a tubular insertion-tool; the tool is inserted in a pleat, the advance end of the strip is then held while the tool is withdrawn from the pleat, thus reloading the tool; the strip is then severed at the advance end of the tool by giving the tool a lateral jerk; and the operation is continued in this manner to fill successive pleats.

The process described now is employed for stnfling practically allot the pleated seat-cushions and backs used in automobiles in this country, some of these cushions being manufactured by automobile companies, or subsidiaries, such as body builders, and some being manufactured by large trim shops.

In carrying out theprocess, it has been the custom toprovide an insertion-tool adapted to fill a pleat oi a given cross-sectional area, but such tool has hitherto had no provision for enabling the normal crosssectional area oi" the tool to be varied so that the tools could be used for di'll erent pleatsizes. Inasmuch as any large .trinnning shop may be called upon tostutl many different sized pleats, and a large number of tools of any given size is needed, the practice which has hitherto been followed has rendered it necessary to keep on hand a large number of tools for each size of a series of sizes. Moreover, these tools, for obvious reasons, are made of as light construction as possible, and many of them are damaged by hard usage.

In accordance with the'present invention, each tool is made of adjustable cross-sectional area, and thus a given tool can be adjusted to enable it to be employed in filling any one of a-number of diiierent sized laterally during the closing action.

pleats. *Thns, by providing twoor three different sizes of adjustable tools in accordance with the present invention, it is possible to meet the requirements of most of the large trimn'iing plants. In this connection, it may be stated thatthe tool may be made of the required length to'suit the situation where it is to be used, even though the crosssectional area. of the pleats may vary widely; hence, by providing for cross-sectional adjustment of the insertion-tool, the desired object is attained. v The invention is illustrated in its prerel-red embodiment, in the accompanying" drawings, in whieh'.,

Fig. 1 isa plan view of an insertion-tool embodying. the invention, the tool being shown adjusted to its largest capacity; Fig. 2, a transverse section on an enlarged scale, the section being taken as indicated at line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8, a broken section taken as indicated at line 3 of'Fig. 4; Fig. 4, a rear end view of a tool, a portion being shown in section 5' Fig. 5, a similar view of a modification of the invention; and Fig. 6,

a broken plan. View of the construction shown inFig. 5. p

In the, preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 14,- the tool comprises a pair of elongated sheet-metal members A and A which are of concave-convex cross-section; an adj ustable ring-I5 connecting the base ends of the members mentioned, the adjustable ring embodying resilient means tending to separate the front ends of the members A, A; and an adjustable loop YC servingfto limit the self-expansion of the tool under thespringaction of thering B.

In the construction being describe'df-themembers A and A work like a pair of aws swinging about the resilient; connections be-I tween their base ends and tending to remain in expanded position. As appears "from Fig. 2, the member A is of somewhat larger cross-sectional dimension than isthe member A, and the jaws are adapted to telescope In Fig. 1, the aws are shown as overlapping for a distance from their base ends and separated by a tapered slot'l throughout the greater part of their length. When adjusted to the smallest cross-sectional area, however, the slot 1 may disappear, as is obvious. At the advance end of the tool, the members A and A have their flanges at one side of the tool provided with complemental recesses, form ing a shallow notch 2; and have their other flanges provided with complemental recesses forming a deeper notch 3. The purpose of these notches will be described presently.

At their base ends, the members A and A are provided with flaring, or expanded, mouth-portions 4:.

The resilient adj ustable connecting-ring B, in the preferred construction, comprises a pair of Ll-shaped stirrups, or bracket-members, :5 which are provided at their extremities with out-turned tapped lugs 5 and a pair of tempered right and left threaded union-screws .6 which are screwed into the tapped lugs and equipped with lock-nuts 6. The Ushaped stirrups .5 preferably are so: cured to the rear ends of the flaring portions 4 by forming the rear margins of the metal into the beads 4 which tightly grip the ringsections 5. The parts may be soldered, also, as indicated at 4 It will be understood that in the illustration given in Fig. l, the resilient unions 6 are under a certain amount of ilexure, due to the fact that the tool has been collapsed slightly after the insertion of the unions into the tapped lugs 5 To enable the desired result to be obtained, the lugs 5*, in the inanutaclture of the tool, preferably are given a slight twist, so as to occupy sli htly oblique positions. Thus, the lugs connected by a given union normally are set in planes converging towards the point-end of the tool, and thus, to bring the lugs into parallel planes, it is necessary to separate the pointportions of the members A and A. After the union-screws have been entered, the tool may be collapsed slightly and then held against undue expansion by the loop C, it being noted that theadjustable spring-connections are thus placed under flexure. The converging dotted lines a and b of Fig. 1 are intended to indicate that the slight collapsing action, which has occured in adjusting the loop G, has caused the lugs 5 to assume v some'wihat oblique positions while the unionscrews were put under flexure tending to expand the tool.

The means C for limiting the expansion of the tool is shown as comprising a thin flexible metal strap having one end soldered to the bottom flange of the member A at the point 7, the strap being bent about the memher A to form a loopand having its free extremity provided with a slot 7 through which extends a threaded stud 8 equipped with a wing-nut 8. The base end of the stud 8 is secured to the upper flange of the member A, as by means of solder.

The device C which serves as a stop, or

limiting device, preferably is located a few inches in front of the ad ustable tensionring B.

It will be understood that by means of the unions 6, the stirrups 5 may be adjusted toward and away from each other to change the cross-sectional area of the insertion-tool; and the free end of the strap C may be drawn past the stud .8 as far as necessary and then secured by the nut 8. Thus, it is possible to maintain the members A and A substantially parallel with each other in their normally expanded position, regardless of the cross-sectional area of the tool.

In the use of the implement, it is the usual practice to support the tool by means of a cord depending from a stationary support above the head of the operator, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of said Reissue Patent No. 16,283. The advance end of the continuous strip of batting from any suitable source is introduced through the tubular tool; the pleated fabric to be stuffed is placed upon a table in front of the operator; and the operator, grasping the tool and collapsing it suliiciently to enable it to enter the pleat readily, inserts the tool into the pleat, thus carrying the advance end of the wadding strip to the remote end of the pleat; the operator with the left hand then presses down upon the fabric at the remote end of the pleat, the fingers entering through the notch 3 of the tool and holding the advance end of the strip while the tool is withdrawn from the pleat by the right hand of the operator; and, finally, the operator, while pressing down upon the near end of the pleat adjacent the point end of the tool, gives the tool a quick lateral movement, causing the shallow notch 2 to pinch the strip and effect sever- V ance of the strip as a result of the jerking action. In the withdrawal .of the tool, while the strip is held in the pleat, a fresh section of the continuous wadding-strip is drawn into the tool, so that the tool is thus reloaded. The operator repeats the operation described, and thus successive pleats are stuffed with great rapidity.

In the modification shown in F 5 and G, the sheet-metal meu'rbers of the tool are designated A and A In this construction, the member A isprovided at a short distance from the base-end with tapped lugs 9 (one shown) through which extend screws 9 whose points fulcrum on lugs 10 with which the member A is equipped at opposite sides. At their base-ends, the members A and A are equipped with U-shaped stirrups 11 whose end-portions are provided with outturn-ed lugs 11. The lugs of one stirrup are provided with tapped perforations which have threaded engagement with screws 12 which extend freely through perforations with which the lugs of the other stirrup are provided. Compression springs 13 are confined between the heads of the bolts 12 and the adjacent lugs 11. It will be understood that a suitable limitingdevice held, the strip expands and (not shown), such as the device C shown in Fig. 1, will be used in the modification being-described for the purpose of limiting the outward swing of the point-portions of the members A and A In the modification, it is clear that the screws 9 fulcrum on the lugs 10, and the compression-springs 13 tend to draw the base-ends of the members A and A towards each other and thus expand the tool. By suitably adjusting the screws 9 and 12, the cross-sectional area of the tool may be changed to accommodate the tool to pleats of different sizes, it being understood that when these screws are adjusted to change the size, the limiting device for preventing undue expansion of the tool will be adjusted also.

It has been demonstrated that it is entirely practicable, in accordance with the present invention, to provide an insertion-tool of adjustable cross-sectional area, suitable for stufling cushions having pleats of varying sizes; and. this can be done without render-. ing the tool too cumbersome for ready manipulation by hand. In fact, a tool suitable for various size pleat-s can be made of weight and size corresponding with the largest size pleat to which the tool is adapted with practically no increase in weight over standard tools now being used; and the adjustable tool can be used either in stufiing the largest size pleats to which it is adapted, or in stuffing pleats of smaller cross-sectional dimension.

It is preferred to employ a. plurality of concavo-convex members to form the tubular insertion-tool; and, preferably, the tool simply comprises two concavo-convex members capable of lateral telescopic engagement. Also, it is preferred to provide resilient means, as stated, tending normally to expand the tool and to provide limiting means for preventing undue expansion. However, in its broadest aspect, the invention contemplates an insertion-tool having collapsibly related walls; and adjusting means for vary ing the normal crosssectional dimensions of the tool. The adjusting means must be of such character as to permit the collapsing action which is necessary to grip the strip and permit easy ins'ertion of the tool into the pleat. As the tool is wlthdrawn from the pleat, the advance end of the strip bemg fills the pleat.

The feature of employing resilient means tending to normally hold the tool expanded (within the limit permitted by the stop device) is an important feature, greatly facilitating the work of stuffing pleats. However, the invention is not necessarily limited to this feature.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and nounnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A pleat-stuffing tool comprising a phi rality of elongated ooncavo-convex members forming a tubularbody, and connections between said members tending yieldingly'to expand the insertion-end of said tool and including means for relatively adjusting said members to change the normal cros'ssectional area of the tool to enable it to conform to various pleat-sizes.

2. A pleat-stufiing tool comprising a plurality of elongated tube-sections, and connecting means between the base-ends of said sections comprising a ring having adjustable spring-sections therein, said ring tending to expand the point-end of the tool.

3. A pleat-stuffing tool comprising a plurality of elongatedtube-sections, connecting means between the base-ends of said sections comprising a ring having adjustable springsections therein, said ring tending to expand the point-end of the too-l, and an adjustable device for limiting expansion.

4. A pleat-stuffing tool comprising complemental tube-sections having their base endportions equipped with tapped lugs, and resilient right and left unions connecting said lugs.

5. A ple'at-stufiing tool comprising complemental tube-sections having their base end-portions equipped with tapped lugs, resilient right and left unions connecting said lugs, and adjustable expansiondimiting means connecting said tube sections near the base-ends thereof 7 f 6. An insertion-tool comprising a pair of complemental tube-sections having enlarged base-ends equipped with rigidly secured stirrups provided with tapped lugs, and right and left threaded unions connecting said lugs.

p 7. An insertion-tool comprising a pair of complemental. tube-sections having enlarged base-ends equipped with rigidly secured stirrups provided with tappedlugs, right and left threaded unions connecting said lugs, and a loop adjustably connected with one of said tube-sections and embracing the other tube-section.

8. A pleat-stuffing tool comprising a pair of complemental tube-sections forming a tubular body of oval cross-section, said tubesections having enlarged base end-portions equipped at their flattened sides with outwardly extending tapped lugs, adjustable resilient unions engaging said tapped lugs, and adjustable expansiondimiting means connecting the tube-sections a short distance in front of the base-ends thereof.

9. A pleat stufiing tool comprising a plurality of concavo convex members forming a tubular body capable of cross-sectional adjustment and means carried by the concavo convex members for securing them in adjusted relation.

10. A pleat stuffing device comprising concavo convex members forming a tubular body having a flared portion at the base thereof means for moving said members toward and away from each other at their base and means intermediate the'end of the concavo convex members for securing the mem bers against movement with relation to each other. 7

11. A pleat stufling tool Comprising two concavo convex members simulating a truncated cone at their base, substantially U- shaped members having apertured ears surrounding the base, righttand left screw-threaded members passing through the apertures and provided With nuts for exerting inward pressure on the ears.

12. A pleat stuffing tool comprising eoncavo convex members forming a tubular body having a flared base, means carried by the base for imparting movement of the concavo convex members toward and away from each other, and means for securing the members against movement with relation to each other, said means being located at the approximate angle formed by the flared portion of the members. i i

13. A pleat stufling tool comprising a pair of complemental coacting members of substantially U-shape in cross section and forming a truncated cone for a portion of their length at the base of the tool, resilient members carried by and Within the'base of the tool, ears carried by the ends of the resilient members and screw-threaded means for engaging the ears.

ALLISTER s. MITCHELL. 

